Hachette Book Group has canceled the U.S. publication plan for "Shy Girl" and will cease distribution in the United Kingdom. The group stated that they are concerned the book's text was generated using artificial intelligence. Author Mia Ballard denied using AI and blamed the editor of the original self-published version, stating she will take legal action. Previously, there had been numerous online speculation and media reports, with industry insiders pointing out that U.S. publishers typically do minimal editing on previously published works they acquire.